Sunday, June 19, 2005

Is There Another Way to Say It? -- The Mets Suck

While Steve and I are engaging in "Peace and Harmony Week: Let's Get Along," there's another bit of common ground I'm sure we agree on: the Mets are a bad team. Last night, the first day of my summer vacation, I treated myself to the Mets/Mariners game, which had a 10:00 start time here on the east coast. The Mets started their most successful pitcher, Pedro, who had never lost to Seattle, against the Mariners least successful pitcher, Ryan Franklin, a guy who's lost 80% of his starts over the last two years. To top it off, Richie Sexson, the Mariners only homerun threat, was tossed in the first inning for arguing with the home plate umpire. In short, the Mariners were giving away the game and the Mets refused their gift; very rude. Seeing the Mets lose wasn't odd--they've been a .500 team all year--it was the way they lost. Throwing to the wrong base, misguided baserunning, and most disappointing, never giving a sense that they could come back. During the first 33 games of the season, when the Mets were second in the NL in scoring runs, there was always the chance of a comeback. Over the past 33 games, a time in which they've dropped to 12th in the league in scoring, the threat of a late-inning come back has withered. Across town the Yankees are back on track and in the NL East the Nationals are pulling away; the media's set to pounce on Willie Randolph and company. Barring a hot streak, it's going to get ugly in Metsville.